Rear engine dragster racers on GAS...

What are your engine temps driving to the staging lanes, in the burnout box, on the line, finish line, return road and back at the pits.

I ask this as I know you guys have small radiators. I assume your using the pump and fan any time the engine is running?

I try to leave the line at 170, finish line 180 and back to the ticket booth is getting close to 200. Then I turn on the fan. When I warm up in the pits, I drive around until I get to about 190 then shut it down. Let it cool slow. I do have an oversized radiator and a 15 to 1 small block on gas. Bob J

quote:

Originally posted by scoop:
I try to leave the line at 170, finish line 180 and back to the ticket booth is getting close to 200. Then I turn on the fan. When I warm up in the pits, I drive around until I get to about 190 then shut it down. Let it cool slow. I do have an oversized radiator and a 15 to 1 small block on gas. Bob J

Thanks for taking time to reply. What temp do you cool down to in the pits, then what temp is the engine once you drive back up to the lanes?

130 in burnout box, 140-150 staging with pump and fan on and 160 once I’m back at the Trailer. Depending on how long it is before I go back up is if I will cool the car or not. I usually want it around 120-130 when I crank it back up

BBC water box 145 starting line 150 goes through at 160 fans on from the starting line till I get back to my pit. Never gets above 170ish and will cool off if I have a staging battle. Saldona radiator with the higher rpm fan on it, meizere water pump with the larger motor on it. On gas

Not relative for me. Tow up and back using Q16. Water box about 100. Stripe 160-170. 2 gallon fuel cell. With Q16 the cooler the intake charge is, the more efficient the fuel burn rate is.Never have to worry about heat going rounds. Ron Davis unit with the Meizere pump. Cools right back down
quickly.

In the summer, I cool it down to 140 in the pits. Use the water pump to control the temp to the line. This time of year, I get back to the pits and just shut everything down. Let it cool by itself. Sometimes, it gets too cold waiting for my next run.

I run a door car, but the radiator is a 22 x 13 single row C&R. I had a water leak in the engine after getting it back from a previous engine builder. Wound up using some Bars Leaks in the coolant system, but that just made a mess of things. It was ceramic based which C&R tells me that the ceramic coats the inside of the tubes in the radiator which could affect heat transfer and cooling.

My car sounds like it builds heat quicker. My grill is blocked which I can open but then I’ll need to make an air pan to control air flow to the carb with the cowl hood.

I may just need to replace the radiator.

For sure. The thicker the core the better the dissipation. You have room for a 3 row or better.

quote:

Originally posted by TD3550:
For sure. The thicker the core the better the dissipation. You have room for a 3 row or better.

The single row is from when the car was ran heads up and towed up and back. They are wider cores though, don’t remember how wide. C&R does offer a double row.

Just good for thought with your other thread. If you change over to methanol or s85 your cooling needs will go down as both will run cooler than gas.

quote:

Originally posted by Wooley:
Just good for thought with your other thread. If you change over to methanol or s85 your cooling needs will go down as both will run cooler than gas.

Hence the second thread. Switching to methanol is starting to sound like a pain as well as expensive conversion. New/better radiator would be a simpler way to go for sure. Lol

2014 Miller dragster with radiator behind protection plate. I pull in water around 145, stage at 160 and go through the lights around 175, about 190 when I get back to the pits. 598 SR20 on Gas. Very close to my door car temps. Don't see a need to go to alky.

Radiator above rear would probably cool even better.

quote:

Originally posted by racerdude2054:
130 in burnout box, 140-150 staging with pump and fan on and 160 once I’m back at the Trailer. Depending on how long it is before I go back up is if I will cool the car or not. I usually want it around 120-130 when I crank it back up

Same for me.

15.25:1 598" SR20 on Q16

Drive to lanes using water pump and fan if necessary

Turn pump on whenever engine is running, turn fan on in lanes at 150ish depending on how slow of a burnout/stager my opponent is
Stage - 170
End of run - 180
Drive back to trailer stopping and starting engine as necessary (fan and pump running entire time) - 175/180

Pull out of lanes at 125, pump and fan on. Stage @ 135-140. Back to trailer between 150-170 depending on outside temp. Never been above 185. Radiator in rear of car.

110, 110, 120,150, 175-180.

ambiant temps in and around 80-83 degrees.

450 plus rides. parking 3/4 to 1 mile away.

I'm planning to replace the radiator. C&R offers a two row version of the same radiator so it'll bolt right in and I would only need to shorten the radiator hoses slightly.

The next question is whether to leave the grill blocked or remove the lexan and then fabricate a rear facing air pan to control air flow to the carb with the cowl hood?

I changed the fan on my Saldana radiator to one with twice the cfm air flow rating. Was the same size and an easy swap. Temp rarely gets above 180-190. You build more temp just driving back on the return road. I always build up some speed and click it off and coast. Keeps temp down and does not waste fuel. If it’s really hot out I generally pull over to get safety gear off and engine is off, fan running. Radiator is behind blow shield so it gets no airflow other than the fan pulling air thru it. Any door car I ever had with a closed up front was usually difficult to keep under 200 on real hot days. Radiators and fans were nothing good back then.

quote:

Originally posted by Strange Magic:
110, 110, 120,150, 175-180.

ambiant temps in and around 80-83 degrees.

450 plus rides. parking 3/4 to 1 mile away.

LMAO. Did that include spectators rides also? In case you forgot, you dont race anymore. The above info is from 8 years ago.